The X-Files: I Want to Believe

Yes, that subtitle is an inside-jokey old refrain, and yes, it now sounds very desperate. In the years since their TV series ended, she became a pediatric surgeon at a gloomy Catholic hospital, and he grew out his beard to signify living off the grid. But tonight special agents Scully and Mulder (Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny) will reunite for one more potentially paranormal investigation. Played out in one dawdling, low-stakes scene after another (and in the snowy West Virginia twilight), it involves a pedophile priest (Billy Connolly) whose allegedly psychic visions might help defeat a serial killer and rescue a missing agent. There is also some mad science, plus our heroes’ customary volleys of self-enchanted, pseudo-Socratic dialogue. As for their togetherness, even director/co-writer/creator Chris Carter seems to have grown bored of the question. His movie’s answer: Sort of. But not really. Maybe. Whatever. Whether it’s just a forgettable, overlong episode or a pretty good, overlong episode can be left open to Scully-Mulder-style debate.